Counseling is a critical part of the healing process. We work with survivors and their loved ones to support healing, understanding, and thriving.
WOAR provides free, trauma informed therapy services to people of all ages who have experienced sexual violence, regardless of when the trauma occurred. Whether the trauma occurred last month or 30 years ago, WOAR works with everyone.
To access group therapy services for the first time, please call or text our 24-Hour Hotline 215-985-3333 and tell them you want to participate in group therapy.
Group Therapy
Group therapy for Women, Men, Teens, LGBTQ+, and Trauma Processing Yoga Group are offered three times a year based on client interest. Most groups begin in February, May, and September.
Survivors interested in participating in one of WOAR’s group therapy sessions MUST complete an intake. An intake is an initial appointment where we gather basic information about you and your needs, while you learn more about the services available to you. To schedule an intake, please call WOAR’s 24-hour crisis hotline at 215-985-3333 and tell them you want to participate in group therapy.
Survivors DO NOT need to attend individual therapy with WOAR to be a part of Group Therapy, except for the Trauma-Informed Yoga Group. You do need to attend individual therapy with WOAR to participate in Trauma-Informed Yoga Group.
WOAR offers two types of group therapy.
- Open groups are groups in which new people can join at any time.
- Closed groups are those in which all people begin group therapy together, at the same time, to preserve confidentiality and build a sense of trust between the survivors in the group. To join a closed group, please call WOAR’s 24-hour crisis hotline at 215-985-3333 (make live) and tell them you want to participate in group therapy.
Supportive Group Therapy Offered at WOAR
WOMEN + GROUP
A 10 to 12-week CLOSED group for sexual harm survivors 18 or older who are cis or trans women, or nonbinary folks who feel a women’s group would benefit them. The goal is to provide an opportunity to express emotions, receive support from other survivors, understand the dynamics of abuse, learn coping skills, and improve self-esteem.
MEN + GROUP
A 10 to 12-week CLOSED group for sexual harm survivors 18 and older who are cis or trans men, or nonbinary folks who feel a men’s group would benefit them. The goal is to provide an opportunity to connect socialized elements of masculinity with survivor identities, express emotions, receive support from other survivors, understand the dynamics of abuse, learn coping skills, and improve self-esteem.
TEEN GROUP
An 8 to 10-week CLOSED group is offered to teens ages 13 to 17 who have been sexually assaulted or sexually abused. The goal is for your teen to be able to learn ideas and strategies from their peers. They will learn how to express their concerns and emotions in a comfortable, safe environment.
Building Blocks group & Stepping Stones GROUP
Both Building Blocks and Stepping Stones groups are for child survivors of sexual abuse and up to two non-offending caregivers. The goals of both groups are to allow the children the opportunity to learn about their body and safe touch in addition to exploring their feelings pertaining to the abuse and their relationships with their support system. Caregivers are given the opportunity to learn skills, support their child and express their feelings about the abuse in a supportive adult space with other caregivers.
LGBTQ+ GROUP
This is a 12-week CLOSED group for survivors who identify with the LGBTQ+ community. The content of the group is tailored specifically to each group of people that participate. Some potential topics we may explore are defining self, PTSD, coping with internal and external sources of homophobia, exploring body memories from the trauma, and seeking support from your family of origin or family of choice.
Human Trafficking
The Human Trafficking Support Group is a psychoeducational support group for survivors of sex trafficking who are 18 years or older. All genders are welcome. This group is led by WOAR’s Manager of Anti-Human Trafficking and a WOAR Counselor and is approximately 8 weeks.
Trauma Processing Yoga GROUP
*To participate in this group, you must be engaged in individual therapy, either at WOAR or elsewhere.
This group is for survivors who are interested in processing their trauma through yoga practice. Trauma Processing Yoga Group runs in 3 cycles that are each 12 weeks long. You must complete a cycle before moving to the next. Trauma Processing Yoga Group uses the intersection of research, mindfulness, and yoga to address healing from sexual violence. We use a combination of these 5 tenants to support healing:
- Movement
- Routine
- Social Connections
- Consistent, Kind, Compassionate, Soothing Words
- Expressions
The goal of Trauma Processing Yoga Group is to significantly reduce post traumatic stress (PTSD), address neurological, physiological, and emotional changes that result from adverse experiences and empower clients through establishing choice.
CORE Psychoeducational Group
CORE Group is an open, drop-in, psychoeducational group for people 18 and older. This psychoeducation group uses evidence-based therapeutic interventions for survivors and their loved ones to provide knowledge and support to help you better understand and cope with trauma so that you can work together with our WOAR Crisis Advocates and Graduate Interns to achieve a better overall outcome. It combines the elements of cognitive-behavior therapy, group therapy, and education.
Sessions are led by WOAR Crisis Advocates and Graduate Interns (not therapists) and run in 10 week cycles. Each week we cover a different topic related to trauma and healing. You can choose to attend every week, or you can pick the sessions that sound helpful to you.
CORE group is not a trauma processing group. We will not be sharing details of the trauma. This is a space to talk through common emotions after trauma, build new coping skills, develop healthy boundaries, and more. It’s a great space for self-reflection and learning with others.
Due to COVID-19, this group now meets via Zoom. If you would like to join CORE group or have questions, please call our hotline at (215) 985-3333.
CORE Group Sessions and Topics
Session 1: Understanding Sexual Violence and Common Responses to Trauma
Session 2: Coping Skills & Self-Care
Session 3: Feeling Identification & Expression
Session 4: Self-Esteem
Session 5: Healthy Boundaries
Session 6: Dealing with Difficult Emotions -Anger
Session 7: Dealing with Difficult Emotions -Guilt and Self-Blame
Session 8: Assertiveness Skill Building
Session 9: Support Networks
Session 10: Relaxation Techniques – Progressive Muscle Relaxation (PMR)
WOAR provides group counseling in person and virtual. Survivors seeking to begin group therapy can access services by calling or texting WOAR’s 24-hour hotline at 215-985-3333 and tell them you want to participate in group therapy.
